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Workshop On Good Governance By The Organisation Of African, Caribbean And Pacific States

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A workshop focusing on Good Governance, Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism, co-hosted by Mauritius and the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS), is being held from 26 to 30 January 2023 in the Intercontinental Hotel in Balaclava. Representatives from around 35 countries are present for this workshop.

The Minister of Financial Services and Good Governance, Mr Mahen Kumar Seeruttun in the opening speech, spoke on the need for continued collaboration between Member States and development partners such as the European Union (EU), the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to consolidate actions in addressing Good Governance, Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT).

Colin Michael Connelly and Mahen Kumar Seeruttun
Colin Michael Connelly and Mahen Kumar Seeruttun

The Chair of the OACPS Committee of Ambassadors and Ambassador of Trinidad and Tobago to Brussel, Mr Colin Michael Connelly; the Director-General of the Directorate-General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union (DG FISMA) and Representative of the European Commission (EC), Mr Martin Merlin; and the Assistant Secretary-General of the OACPS, Mrs Banata Tchale Sow, as well as other personalities were present on this occasion.

Mr Mahen Kumar Seeruttun spoke about obstacles faced by Member States in an increasingly challenging environment with the global shockwaves of geopolitical tensions and high inflation. He also dwelt on challenges faced by Member States in receiving capital flows for development and poverty alleviation when listed on the EU List of Non-cooperative tax jurisdictions and the EU List of High-Risk Third Countries. On this score, he urged Member States to ensure that they have both the human capacity and the necessary infrastructure to keep pace with new standards and guidelines so as to prevent such risks from materialising.

Mrs Banata Tchale Sow
Mrs Banata Tchale Sow

He also outlined the recent progress made by Mauritius about AML/CFT by ticking out all the 40 FATF recommendations and successfully being delisted from the FATF grey list in 2021. “In a spirit of brotherhood and partnership, Mauritius stands ready to share its acquired experiences with the OACPS Member Countries”, he stated. Several workshops, he added, have been organised in collaboration with the EU AML/CFT Global Facility.

As for Ambassador Connelly, he commended Mauritius for hosting the workshop which is valuable for Member States to come up with joint understanding in the fight against money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism.

Workshop On Good Governance

For his part, Mr. Merlin reiterated the support of the EU through technical assistance to help countries reinforce their AML/CFT system while fostering international peace and security.

The OACPS’ Assistant Secretary-General, for her part, observed that the workshop will be beneficial for all Member States to structure dialogue in a bid to find ways to tackle good governance issues. The launch of the virtual OACPS platform will provide a better sharing of experiences among Member States so as to comply with international standards, she added.

The OACPS, founded via the Georgetown Agreement in 1975, comprises 79 African, Caribbean, and Pacific States that strive to achieve the sustainable development of its members and their progressive integration into the global economy.

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